Pawlak and Levenson U.S. Pat. No. 4,128,443, describes pyrotechnic compositions and processes for preparing such compositions from inorganic oxidizing agents, aromatic carboxylic acid salts, water, and optional adjuvants consisting of binders, fuels, oxidants, ballistic modifiers, stabilizers and the like. Pawlak and Levenson teach that such compositions are conveniently prepared by blending the ingredients in a conventional rotary blender and subsequently drying the composition to their desired water content. Commercial production of such compositions proved difficult because of the inherent nature of the binder-water mixtures which caused the charge to be difficult to remove from the blender and to produce granules of pyrotechnic composition of widely varying sizes. As well known in the pyrotechnic art, a uniform particle size is essential for uniform burning rates.
The binders taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,128,443 include dextrine, gum arabic, hydroxymethylcellulose, gum tragacanth, red gum and guar gum. None of the binders taught therein, when used alone, have been found to successfully overcome the aforesaid difficulties in producing uniform granulation.
Guar gum has been known as a binder and granulating agent for may years. For example, Hall and Bhalla, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,342, teach the use of aqueous solutions of various agglomerating agents, including guar, for producing agglomerates of sodium carbonate peroxide. In accordance with that process, a solution containing an agglomerating agent is sprayed on the tumbling particles of sodium carbonate peroxide.